Memorial ride ends with 15 bikers taken to hospital | News

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JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- What was supposed to be a memorial ride for a fallen motorcyclist ended with over a dozen bikers being rushed to the hospital.

It happened around 11 a.m. Saturday on I-95 North between J.T. Butler Boulevard and University Boulevard.

Fifteen people were taken to the hospital, according to Ruff Ryder Jacob Thompson.

Channel Brown, a Ruff Ryder biker said, "Pieces of bikes everywhere. Just something you never want to see. You never want to walk up on your friends not knowing whether they are alive."

Brown couldn't believe what she saw as she rode down the interstate.

"I saw smoke from the tires from the semi in front of me locking up. And I screamed. I got out and ran out and everybody was everywhere," Brown said.

She was one of about 100 members of the Ruff Ryders Motorcycle Club taking part in memorial ride for a fellow biker, Ernest "Phantom"Jones, who was killed in a car accident earlier this month.

Jacob Thompson was in front of the crash and looked back and saw his friends down.

"In the chaos of the bikes coming one way several cars slowed down, several bikes hit the backs of those vehicles and people fell...No one was killed, but we have several people that were injured, bikes completely destroyed. Several people hurt very badly."

The multi-vehicle crash shutdown 1-95 northbound and the on ramp from J.T. Butler Boulevard. As police worked to clear the scene bikers stood hand in stand and bowed their heads in a prayer circle on the interstate.

"We stick together closer than ever now. Phantom would have wanted that," said Brown.

Florida Highway Patrol is the leading the investigation. Police have not yet said what caused the crash.